Motivation
by Original Blue
Summary: ShikaTema. Temari is the one puzzle Shikamaru can't seem to solve.
1. Mothers

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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M is for Mothers, or lack thereof.

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The only way to describe Konoha's sky was 'thick.' Frigid air hung heavy with clouds, dark and menacing rain following the spikes of lightning. The hidden village's residents, long used to the abrupt winter weather, sat warm in front of heaters nursing bowls of steaming soup and mugs of tea.

It came as a surprise to Temari that rain could be as dangerous as sand in its own way. Her freckle-kissed skin turning blue in the bone-chilling temperatures, she hugged her arms to her chest, trying to ignore the steady trickle of raindrops seeping down her back. She'd endured worse weather, but the blonde kunoichi knew that she would resort to force, preferably beating some deserving idiot over the head with her fan,if she didn't find someplace hot and dry to stay.

"Temari?"

She silently thanked the Kami individually and by name.

"Temari! It's me, Nara Yoshino! Are you okay?"

Struggling to keep the relentless downpour from blinding her already irritated eyes, Temari turned to look. The brunette mistress of the Nara clan was exiting a grocery store, doubtless just finished shopping for lunch. Temari winced suddenly as her stomach reminded her that she'd last eaten nearly a day ago, on the outskirts of Fire Country.

Yoshino noticed her pained look and smiled inwardly. This was a Mother's Job. And only a certified Mother could do it.

Yoshino, wide green umbrella in tow, crossed the street to where the soaked Suna girl was standing. "Come on. We can go to lunch right now, young lady. This is no way for a proud kunoichi to treat herself." The slight scold went unnoticed as she was steered out of the rain.

Temari wanted to argue, but the formidable woman left no room for comment and the blonde gave a feeble nod of consent. She was then steered towards the Nara Compound, where her mind overflowed with visions of green fluffy blankets and comforting heat that permeated her skin. She didn't even have a chance to say thank you before darkness – actual sleep, not just catnaps in a dimly lit forest –overcame her.

...

She woke in the certainty (mainly since she was dry and warm and she definitely wasn't dead) that everything would be fine.

And as she struggled out from beneath the crisp white sheets and dark green bedspread, she wondered where exactly that intruding thought had come from.

She was a ninja, faster than most could see even with bloodline limits.

She was a jounin, the first of her siblings to achieve that status, since Gaara's earlykazekagehood didn't really count.

She was one of the elite, the first to volunteer for rescue missions and ready to fight atany moment.

Personal safety had never been her primary concern, especially growing up with Gaara.

So where, from the long neglected depths of her pre-genin childhood, had that thought emerged? Temari had little time to ponder the inner workings of her mind; belatedly, she realized that she was sleeping in someone else's bed.

Her shriek cut the still air of the Nara household.

She tripped in her haste to get away from the bed, trying to remember where-

Oh.

Yoshino.

Relief flooded her senses as she took a deep breath. For a split second she'd been terrified that last night, in her disoriented state, she'd taken up someone's offer of a warm bed and walked into a trap.

Footsteps on the stairs reminded her that she might have just roused all of Fire Country with that unintended battle cry. She smoothed her fingers over the huge shirt and drawstring shorts Yoshino had put her in, understanding that she didn't like overly restrictive clothing,before composing herself.

Someone knocked. Instead of calling to whoever stood on the landing, she padded over to the door and ignored the creak as she eased it open. Her teal eyes widened as she stared up into charcoal irises – their blatant intelligence making her feel like she was drowning – which were definitely _not_ Yoshino's.

...

Bored with playing against himself and unwilling to bother his busy teammates, who'd been unusually quiet, even if it was pouring rain outside, Nara Shikamaru had gone in search of a decent opponent. Of course the only one in Konoha was his father Nara Shikaku. And that meant his mother would expect him to stay for dinner. Bemoaning his fate and cursing whenever stray drops of rain slid into his eyes, Shikamaru made his way towards his parents' home.

He was the picture of controlled lassitude: hands stuck in his pockets, sloe-like eyes downcast, lips set in a classic sarcastic expression. A cigarette would have completed the picture, but since his teacher's death seven years ago, he'd limited his smoking. That, and several information seminars about the effects of smoking, had almost completely erased the desire. Although he didn't want to end up with charred lungs, as some of the more graphic pamphlets had displayed, he was more worried about the people around him whose lives would be shortened because he couldn't stop lighting up.

The occasional smoke was all he allowed himself, but he was feeling good even without the nicotine buzz.

The walk to and through the Nara compound took longer than he'd thought it would, and he was drenched by the time he reached the back porch. Ignoring the 'Rabid Deer Warning' _sign – Kami save the world from his mother's sense of humor – _he opened the screen door and let himself into the kitchen.

"Shikamaru!"

He sighed, a beaten man.

"Are you here for dinner? Let me get you a towel, you're completely soaked!" His mother practically dove into the hall closet, muttering about young people who didn't have any sense and couldn't be bothered to check the weather.

Shikaku met his son's gaze with a weary but happy grin. "Here for shougi, I presume?" The younger man nodded with an accompanying sigh. He found the board, setting it up as his mother gave him dry clothes and brought out dinner. Although Yoshino shot her son and husband a glare when they made no attempt to end the game for dinner, she stayed silent, thoughts locked on the kunoichi upstairs.

...

Shikamaru was suspicious. His mother was clearly preoccupied, and not just because there was a lot of laundry that needed doing, and it took a lot to make Yoshino forget to make wild rice with dinner.

He followed her glances at the stairs and glimpsed an unfamiliar color in the hall. He decided to save his questions for later, when they would do more good.

When the game was won – by Shikaku, to his son's consternation –Shikamaru stretched and stood up, deciding to spend the night in his old room. But as he approached the stairs, he saw it again.

The color and the object were familiar. Familiar, but glaringly out of place.

"Mom?"

She looked up from her book and saw the unspoken question. "Oh, the fan? It belongs to Sabaku no Temari. You know, your friend from Suna."

Shikamaru's brows rose further from their already lofty heights. "How do you know Temari?"

His mother looked equally proud and abashed. "I make it a point to know all the beautiful, eligible kunoichi my son meets."

"Mom, she's someone I know from working on the Chunin Exams. Just because I can hold an intelligent conversation with her does not mean we are in the throes of passion." His eyes narrowed at her obvious diversionary tactics. "And you still haven't told me why this is here."

By 'this' he was referring to the five-foot polished black fan that stood in his hall.

"Well, I met her near the Hokage Tower earlier; she'd just delivered her message and was standing alone in the rain. She isn't familiar with our weather, you know, and she'd exhausted herself running from Suna, so I took her back here and got her dried off."

Shikamaru ran a weary hand through his loose, damp hair. "Where did she go?"

And why had she left her fan there? Was she planning to come back for it or something? How did she even _know_ his mother?

A sudden, panicked shout came from upstairs, making Yoshino smile. "I just let her sleep in your old room." She went back to reading, a grin tugging at her lips.

Shikamaru tore up the stairs.

Why had she screamed? What had she found in his room that was _that_ horrifying? He would have sworn on his first born child that he'd trashed all his old Icha Icha Paradise books...

He reached his door, knocked impatiently, and was about to pull it open when he heard faint footsteps, making him hesitate. A moment later, the door was pulled open by a sleep-mussed Temari.

He swallowed as her surprised eyes met his. She was wearing an old loose t-shirt and a pair of his boxers – looking surprisingly subdued for such a rowdy kunoichi –which revealed even more skin than her usual outfits.

Great. One up for meddling Mothers.

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M is for Mothers, or lack thereof.

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	2. Obedience

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

–-––––––––

O is for Obedience, or lack thereof.

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So far, this day had gone from bad to worse.

Shikamaru had been expecting some light rain, a little shougi, and dinner with his parents.

What he got was rain so heavy it was nearly snow, a long uncomfortable meal as his mother actively hid something from him, and finding a sleepy Temari in his old room dressed in a pair of his boxers and a Nara Clan t-shirt three sizes too big.

After the mortified Suna girl had been dragged downstairs by Yoshino in full Mother mode, they'd had a "discussion" about where Temari was going to stay. It was less a discussion than long-winded playful banter between Yoshino and Shikaku, who gave their verdict and then quietly excused themselves for bed at six o'clock in the evening.

There had been no room for argument. There was no arguing with a Mother.

Which was why Shikamaru was walking back towards his house and holding an umbrella for Temari, who was looking pointedly away from him.

Shikaku had been adamant that it was not seemly for a young lady to sleep in Shikamaru's old room unless she was being considered as a possible bride for Shikamaru. Both Temari and Shikamaru replied hotly that she was not.

"Then," Yoshino cut in innocently, "Temari should go to Shikamaru's apartment since there's a guest room, or Ino could let her sleep over tonight."

Shikamaru had gaped at his mother, wondering vaguely if maybe his intelligence wasn't only from his father. In the end, they'd been handed jackets and almost pushed out the door into the drizzle that persisted over Konoha.

"This is my apartment," Shikamaru said, pulling his keys out of one pocket. The gate opened, Temari crept past, and Shika shut it tightly, leaning the umbrella inside to dry.

There was a slight click at each step they took walking down the dim hallway. "Ino's room is over there," he said, gesturing noncommittally towards a cheerily painted door with yellow butterflies on it. Temari, huddled in her huge green Nara coat and scarf, nodded her thanks, already feeling the cold seeping into her bones.

...

It was official: she never wanted to come to Konoha again.

Even as she walked to fluorescent purple door she shuddered with cold. She knocked brazenly, sick of the weather. She heard Shikamaru sigh behind her and wondered if he was trying to be courteous by seeing her in or if he needed to talk to his teammate. Either way, she would say nothing.

As much as she liked his mother and appreciated his help, he was still the same irritating, good-for-nothing Shikamaru who had beaten her in the Chunin Exams without even trying very hard. And he'd forfeited to let her win. Every time she saw him she was reminded of her arm involuntarily rising and her mouth shaping the words he spoke. He made her so mad!

"Um, Temari? What are you doing here?"

Remembering where she was, the blonde kunoichi smiled at the female component of the famous trio. Ino was dressed in a pretty skirt and a tank top, although her makeup and normally impeccable hair looked mussed. In fact, it looked like-

"Ino?" Akimichi Choji walked into view in Ino's apartment, shirtless and heavily muscled. "Oh, hey guys."

Temari let herself stare for a moment. Ino definitely had a right to be mussed if she and Choji had been doing what Temari thought they'd been doing.

From somewhere behind her, Temari heard the sound of someone choking on a cigarette and turned to Shikamaru. He spat out the remains and glared at his teammates. They both flushed.

"Ino, I was going to ask if Temari could stay over for tonight. Mom's orders-"

Ino nodded sympathetically; she knew Yoshino could do Mother at the drop of a hat, or in this case at the drop of an eligible kunoichi.

"-but I see you're already occupied."

Ino cringed, and Choji put a hand on her shoulder, meeting Shika's accusatory gaze steadily. The look he returned said clearly If you make her cry, I will hurt you, best friends or not.

Finally, Shika nodded reluctantly. "Okay, so Ino's place is off limits. Choji, can she stay in your apartment?" The Akimichi heir shook his head sheepishly. "Sorry, but the place is a total mess. I was repairing some armor in the living room and things got out of hand. That's why I came to Ino's in the first place, to get some polish, and then-"

Shika cut him off with a hand. "Choji, I don't think we need the details. What we really need to figure out is where Temari's going to stay tonight."

Ino glared at him. "You're such an idiot! So quick to push her on your friends, no offense Temari, but unwilling to have her at your house. You have a guest room too, Lazyass, and you're the only one who remembers to change the sheets."

"Only because my mom forces me to," Shika replied resignedly, "Yeah, I guess she'll have to stay with me." He sighed and pulled a fresh cigarette out of his pocket. "What a drag."

Ino and Choji grinned, bidding the pair goodnight before firmly shutting the door.

Temari glanced at Shika as he took a long drag. "I thought you quit smoking."

His eyes flickered towards hers. "I smoke occasionally." Wet drops splashed on his hand as he opened his plain door, and she almost didn't catch his slight grimace. "Usually when it rains."

...

Inside his apartment was nothing like she'd imagined; the design was simplistic and reserved, everything made with a purpose. It was neat, although Temari supposed that was more to do with his mother's effect on him than an affinity for housework and cleanliness. In fact, it had glaring similarities to her own, but she didn't want to dwell on that.

She shrugged off the loose green raincoat and hung it next to the door. Glancing at Shika, she saw him drop his jacket in a laundry basket and slouch into the kitchen. Uncertainly taking a seat on one of the large squishy armchairs, she hoped he would point out the guest room on his return.

She didn't have to wait long; Shika emerged holding two bowls of steaming soup.

Temari had never been happier to see food as her stomach chose to remind her that, despite her best intentions, she'd never gotten around to eating at the Naras'. The two large bowls were set on the table in front of her. She stared unabashedly.

"They're both for you. Go ahead and eat – I'm going to finish this cigarette." He walked towards the glass sliding door behind the dining room table.

For a moment Temari watched him step into the misting rain; was this really the lazy teacher who had easily beaten her nearly eight years ago?

Then she turned her attention to the food; like it or not, in a choice between this stew and watching Shikamaru smoke, the rich, filling food won hands down.

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O is for Obedience, or lack thereof.

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	3. Trust

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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T is for Trust, or lack thereof.

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_Has my house always been this cold?_

Struggling with the blankets (why were there blankets?), Temari sat up and blinked in the early morning light, if it could even be called light. The room was bathed in a bluish–grey color. Which meant it was still raining outside.

She groaned and hugged her knees to her chest, resigning herself to an extended stay in Konoha. Even if it stopped raining later today, she didn't feel like running through slush and mud all the way to the border and then through hot and sticky Suna.

Curling up tight in the delicious warm spot made by her body, Temari went back to sleep.

...

Shikamaru made breakfast hesitantly. Normally he ate a piece of fruit in the mornings; or barbecue, but only if Choji was treating. He'd never really cooked for anyone else and had no idea if she would like what he was making.

_She lives in the desert,_ he thought as he pulled out a carton of milk, _so she probably doesn't want seafood._

He searched through his fridge and found some soup from his mother's house, tofu by the color. He turned on the stove and let it heat, filling the house with the seductive smell of Yoshino's cooking.

...

"What are you doing?"

He glanced up from the sheaf of papers as she entered, holding a blanket around her shoulders.

"I'm doing some code–breaking for the Hokage's office."

Temari gave him a skeptical look and sat on his couch. "They let you handle important papers?" she scoffed.

He stifled a smile. "Quite frequently. They even trust me step out of the village without spilling my guts to the nearest missing–nin."

"Fools, the lot of them. Should you be telling me this? It could be useful if Suna ever wants to kidnap you."

Shikamaru yawned. "I'd drive the questioners insane within the week, and being kidnapped would be troublesome."

Finally Temari laughed. "Everything's troublesome to you. If breathing weren't absolutely necessary I'm pretty sure you'd give it up in a heartbeat."

"True enough." He sighed over the papers. "Want to make my job easier?"

This earned him a look of surprise. "You want me to help you?" She hated to admit it, but he had the most analytical mind of anyone she'd ever met. She might not be able to do the work he could, or at least not as quickly.

"You, my father, and Shiho from the Code–Breakers' office are probably the only people in Konoha who could break these. I have faith."

And when he smiled at her like that, she believed him.

...

"So this one contains a 0,2,5,6 and ends in 0,6,5,3. That must be the segment of the letter that's coded."

"Great. If you ever want to defect to Konoha, I'll put a in a good word for you with the Hokage."

They traded a look and snorted.

"Here we go – this one talks about mercenary movement on the northern border. Is this useful?"

"Let me see it." He skimmed the document. "It could be. Look it over again."

"But I already broke the code–"

"The first one. This document is double ciphered. Isolate the decoded text and try to find another key."

She stared at him and looked back at the page. Shikamaru. Cipher. Shikamaru. Cipher. There was something there, something wrong with the speech pattern of the hidden letter. She checked it against the codes keys they'd already discovered.

_Ah._

He was right. She diligently copied out the new words, using the cipher key for reference. It was also about mercenary movement, but this time it concerned a clan heiress traveling incognito to Konoha. The mercenaries, missing–nin possibly among them, were due to attack her.

"Shikamaru..."

He caught her pointed look and read the fresh document.

She couldn't read his expression, but his eyebrows drew together and his dark eyes narrowed.

"Should we tell the Hokage?" Temari fidgeted; that girl could be killed because some idiot on her father's council was too talkative with alcohol in his hand. "Tsunade will want to know if a clan member is in danger."

But Shikamaru was shaking his head. "I have orders to turn everything in, but she decides what's important. The girl listed here isn't from Konoha; I know every clan in the village. Like it or not, Tsunade may disregard this."

Temari looked at him in shock. "But that girl could die!"

"She's an heiress. They don't usually make weaklings the heirs to prominent clans." He looked down at the paper. "If she were going to be attacked in Fire Country, then we might have a case, but she's traveling through Grass Country right now. They plan to intercept her in Ame." He sat back, face troubled.

Breathing in and out deeply, Temari stood up and walked to the open window. Rain poured down outside. He was logical. He was always so damn _logical_. Sure, it made sense to just give the Hokage everything and trust her to know what was important, but shouldn't he at least mention it?

_If I were in Suna, I'd... well, I'd..._

She realized that if she were in Suna she would talk to Gaara about it and let him make the decision. Because that's what you had to do. You had to do your job and hope like hell that your superiors made the right choices.

_I'm acting like an idiot, she thought wonderingly. I can't go running off to save someone like the old days. I'm in Konoha, which means that if anything happens to me Tsunade is responsible. And if anything happens to me, Gaara won't be happy._

Sighing, she picked up another report and broke the wax seal.

...

At sunset the rain finally let up. Temari stood around for a while, feeling angry at the world in general, but the sky in particular. Then she grabbed her fan and, after a moment of hesitation, the Nara clan jacket, and headed into Konoha's food district.

Only a few people were out, and the Nara symbol seemed to get her smiles wherever she went. It was a nice change from the suspicion she attracted in Suna garb. She headed to Ichiraku Ramen, a place she dimly remembered eating at with Gaara and Naruto, and ordered two large miso ramen to go. Then, suddenly remembering that she was eating with Shikamaru, she changed one of the ramen orders to mackerel.

She sat down to wait and stuck her hands in the huge green pockets of her coat. There was a piece of paper in one.

_My dearest Yoshino,_

_ Your beautiful lips and radiant smile are nothing compared to the burning love_

_that resides deep within your heart. Would you be mine, oh temptress of gods,_

_loveliest of lovelies, whose skin tastes of mint and raindr–_

Temari looked away, flushing to the roots of her golden–blonde hair and stuffing the paper back in her pocket. It had obviously been a while since anyone had used the jackets, or they might have gathered that the Naras were a passionate clan beneath their calculating exteriors. She grinned.

"You're smiling. That means something bad is about to happen to someone." Shikamaru sat down next to her, his raincoat folded under the counter. "Is it a misogynist, bigot or bully this time?"

She smacked his shoulder. "Do you write poetry?" She shut her mouth with a click, wondering why she wanted to know.

That was nothing compared to Shikamaru's bewildered expression. "Uh... no. Should I for some reason?"

"No, I just..." she gestured stiffly, "Your parents..."

He raised an eyebrow.

Realizing that he wouldn't give up without some explanation, she dug out the love letter and passed it over. He turned an even deeper shade of red than she had and finished the letter. But his expression cleared when he reached the signature. Against all of her expectations, he started to laugh.

"My parents weren't like this, Temari. I have a cousin named Yoshino, and this was how her fiancé proposed to her last month. He's from the Yamanaka clan." Shika grimaced. "I'll be related to Ino soon."

Sighing in relief, Temari picked up the bags of ramen and walked with Shikamaru back to his house, a new storm threatening to break along the way.

...

At around midnight, both bowls of ramen empty and the stack of documents de–coded, Shikamaru went outside for a cigarette. This time Temari followed him out, strangely curious.

"Any non–disclosure agreements I need to sign now?" she asked as he blew smoke rings.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Are you saying you wouldn't tell Gaara everything if he asked? No, don't answer that," he said, tapping some ash onto the railing and watching it steam. "I know you would."

"Then why ask for my help?"

"Because you're loyal to Gaara, and right now Gaara wants what's best for Suna. What's best for Suna is to stay on good terms with Konoha. Ergo, you have Konoha's best interests in mind." He took a deep drag. "Besides, you're intelligent enough to do the job right, and I trust you."

_That_ made her smile. "But you don't trust anyone."

He shrugged. "Not unless I know them. But I could say the same about you, and I'm pretty sure you don't expect me to attack you at any moment."

She adopted a thoughtful expression. "But that's only because you know the painful death that would await you."

He smiled and took a deep breath of the cinnamon flavored smoke. "Whatever works, right?"

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T is for Trust, or lack thereof.

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	4. Identity

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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I is for Identity, or lack thereof.

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The day after Temari arrived in Konoha, the thunderstorms passed, leaving cool, sunny weather in its wake.

_Thank kami_, the blonde sand–nin thought, adjusting the straps on her shoulders. _If it rains anymore I might drown._ She'd been a little reluctant to leave the heavy green jacket in Shika's apartment. It had, after all, protected her from the elements and earned her a little goodwill with Konoha's residents. So she wore it on the way to the gate, trying to memorize the texture.

Beside her Shikamaru walked aimlessly, hands in the pockets of his jounin vest, eyes turned towards the plentiful clouds.

She smiled as he almost ran into a civilian. "Watch where you're walking, ninja."

"But the clouds are more interesting." He did sound bored, at least more so than usual.

"Then watch me. Remember, you only get to see my pretty face until we reach the gate." He raised an eyebrow and she stuck out her tongue.

"You've certainly got sarcasm down pat."

"Well, you'd already picked nonchalance, so I took what I could get."

He cracked a smile. "If nothing else, I'll miss your witty banter when you get to Suna."

She batted her eyelashes and gave a feral grin. "If you don't write to me, I may develop a sense of mercy."

Shikamaru shuddered as they reached the shadow of the huge stone wall. "Kami help us all."

Temari moved to pull of the jacket, but he shook his head. "My mother wants you to keep it," he explained, pink–faced, "Just in case you decide to come back during the rainy season."

"Please tell her thank you for me. I really... really appreciate it. And thanks for letting me stay in your apartment." She looked down. "If you ever need a place to stay in Suna, I'll return the favor."

He was smirking. She _knew_ he was smirking even though she was doing an intense study of her shoes. "I'm sure the Kazekage will love that."

"When all is said and done," Temari grimaced, "he is my brother."

She walked away, turning to wave goodbye only as she passed between the sentries.

...

"Mom, I'm home..." Shika placed his folded jacket on the counter and walked into the kitchen.

"Shikamaru! How's Temari! Did she leave? Did she take the coat? Did you remember the give it to her? Oh, I knew I should have come with you..." Yoshino spoke so rapidly that Shika had no chance to get a word in edge wise. "Maybe I should have sent some food with her? You can never be too careful, and I know what the roads are like to Suna this time of the year..."

"Shikamaru!" She rounded on him suddenly, Motherhood flaming almost visibly around her. "You should have offered to escort her to the border! She's the ambassador to Konoha, isn't she? If something happens to her, Tsunade might–"

"Yoshi." Shikaku's quiet voice cut through his wife's incessant worrying. "I'm sure she's more than capable. She is a jounin level kunoichi of Kaze no Kuni. She grew up with a jinchuuriki sibling. She keeps a cool head in a fight; she has infinite more self control than our Hokage, although that's not saying much."

He nodded to Shikamaru. "If anything, his offer of help would be an insult. Temari will be fine."

Yoshino looked at Shikaku, face downfallen, and he took her in his arms, murmuring in her ear.

Shikamaru, suddenly tired of his parents' discussion of Temari, picked up his jacket and walked out the way he'd come, a sour taste in his mouth.

_How would they know who she is? After all, they barely know their own son. Whenever someone asks them to describe me, they always say the same thing:_

_"He's lazy, he's brilliant, and he's never getting married."_

He kicked at piece of trash in the street.

_Is that all they can think of? I'm more than that..._

The sun was rising over the Hokage Monument, spreading fingers of golden light across the sky. Temari's face came to mind, her expression focused as he explained the mechanics of some tactic, green eyes glinting with intelligence. He shook his head. Sure, he told himself, he was disappointed that she'd had to leave. But it was merely the loss of a clever opponent. There were others in Konoha.

_None like her,_ another part of him argued. _They don't think the same way she does. They don't understand the way she does. If I was sarcastic with Shiho she'd probably burst into tears. Temari has self-confidence._

At that, Shikamaru reached the Hokage's Office, where he went upstairs and found the leader of Fire Country waiting for the papers in his hands.

...

Temari tried to fall asleep back in Suna, but the cold air seeping in made it impossible. Just as she was considering knocking herself out to get some rest, she remembered the Nara jacket. She dug it out of her travel pack and slid lithe arms through the sleeves.

_It's still warm,_ she thought, sleep finally finding its way into her mind. _It's almost like someone was wearing it before me. And it smells like cinnamon..._

Eyes flickering shut, she thought she glimpsed a shadowy figure on her balcony, lighting a cigarette.

...

"You're doing what?"

Calm green eyes regarded her. "I'm giving you a month off. You've been taking too many missions lately." Gaara hesitated. "Kankurou says... that you are only young once."

"He's even younger than I am!"

"So he would know. Listen, Temari," the Kazekage said, rubbing his forehead. "Go someplace besides the training grounds; take some time for yourself. You've been living in your fighting gear for the past year and a half. Most other jounin haven't completed half as many A– or S–rank missions as you, and they're at least ten years older. Do something else for now. You have_ the rest of your life t_o beat the crap out of sword–wielding idiots."

"But I–"

_I only really know how to be a ninja._

She stopped herself and swallowed. Gaara was still looking at her, eyes melancholy under pale red lashes.

Temari sighed. "Okay. I'll try. But I'm not promising anything."

...

There was a strand of hair in his shower.

He stared at it for a few moments, letting water drip down his nose and into his eyes before bothering to wipe it away.

The single length of blonde hair was pressed against the glass, probably from when she washed her hair and reached for the soap.

It fascinated him. He'd never really thought that one day he would have a girl's hair in his shower. In his fingers it was silky soft, although he knew that her hair tangled like rope in real life.

He let go, and the water stole it away, dragging it down with the soapy water.

His dark eyes narrowed.

...

The gym had fans, thank kami, otherwise she'd have lost ten pounds in sweat alone. She worked out for nearly three hours, determined to burn enough calories to merit an ice cream stop on the way home from the Academy.

On the way home she bought a pitcher of ice water and dumped it over her head. The droplets falling reminded her of rain, which turned her thoughts to Shikamaru.

She remembered him lighting a cigarette as though it pained him. But then that first sweet breath of smoke smoothed away lines in his face.

She wondered if it really tasted like cinnamon.

...

Shikamaru dragged his feet as he left the Genin Academy a week later, thanking Kami that the class had taken a field trip; he'd been left alone all day to catch up on his paperwork. He ignored the sudden urge to have another cigarette; it had rained so often he'd gotten addicted again. Shoving down the nicotine craving, he stopped off at the market, picking up some fresh produce and a bag of barbecue chips for Choji.

He paused when he reached Ichiraku Ramen, thinking of the thick miso ramen Temari had eaten. She'd been completely composed until they got inside, and then drained her bowl in minutes. He'd never seen someone down ramen like that, and he'd known Naruto almost all his life. Then she'd daintily wiped her mouth with a napkin and thanked him for the meal.

_Weird._

He passed the ramen shop, thinking about the contradictions she represented. Strong and self–conscious; confident, but vulnerable; merciless, but strangely naïve. Sunlight and harsh winds.

He dropped the chips off with Ino, who promised to give them to their teammate when he got home.

Then he went into his vacant home and sat on the guest bed, staring at nothing, until he fell asleep.

...

A knee to the groin, intentional or not, tends to wake people up. And that's what Shikamaru woke to. Well, that, and Temari leaning over him with a surprised look on her face.

"Sorry! I didn't know you were in here."

"Of course not, it's only my house." Grumbling to ignore the throbbing, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Her smile was only _slightly _reassuring. "I'm on vacation, and I'm staying here."

Moaning, Shika leaned back, accepting his fate with the good grace of one who was raised by Yoshino.

––––––––––

I is for Identity, or lack thereof.

––––––––––


	5. Violence

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

––––––––––

V is for Violence, or lack thereof.

––––––––––

Sunlight filtered into the courtyard.

"–and then I climbed through the window. You really should lock your apartment, shinobi or no."

"But can you tell me why?" said Shikamaru, pouring himself a glass of apple juice. "I wasn't really lucid the last time you explained it."

That elicited a smirk. "Well, that, and you'd just been kicked in the–"

He glared at her. "I get it. Would you just tell me why you're here?"

Temari shrugged, retying her hair bands. She sat cross–legged on the step, one foot dangling off the edge. "I was bored in Suna. Gaara's given me another three weeks off, so I don't have to technically be inside the city."

"And you thought it was a good idea to travel for three days _without _sending a message first?" He sat down at the table and picked up a stack of tests to grade.

"Two. I run faster than the stupid merchants that take the mail."

"Those merchants provide all the food and goods that support Suna."

"But they don't have to be such womanizers, honestly." She sighed. "The last time I tried to send a package to Konoha, three of them – _three _– asked me if I'd rather go in person. _And _they were winking and nudging one another. Honestly, are all men bastards?"

Shika raised an eyebrow, and she flapped a dismissive hand in his direction. "Present company excluded, of course."

"They're just middle–aged civilian men who haven't seen their wives in months and are suddenly presented with the option of a beautiful young kunoichi in good standing."

Her mouth opened and closed. "I'm not looking for the logic of it! I'm looking for someone to sympathize and tell me what complete morons they are!"

"Then go find Ino." He drained his glass. "I have things to do."

Hurt, but not completely understanding why, Temari tossed the cushion to one side and pulled on her black sandals. "I'll see you later, then." She stalked out, posture oozing exasperation.

...

"Ah, Kurenai..."

The red–eyed kunoichi looked up from her book. "Shika! What a surprise!" She rose and gave him a hug. "Asuma's been bugging me to invite you over, but I'd completely forgotten until now." She smiled warmly. "So how are you?"

"I'm–"

–housing an older kunoichi from another country with an unreasonable amount of bloodlust and acute intelligence–

"–okay."

Some of his stress must have leaked into that imperceptible pause, because for the first time, Shikamaru saw Kurenai transform into a Mother.

"What's bothering you? Is Tsunade working you too hard? I've always meant to talk to her about that–"

"No, no, it's not that," Shika reassured her quickly. "Work's fine.

"Then what's...?"

_Time to sink or swim,_ thought Shikamaru. "Well, I was wondering... how do I stop someone being mad at me?"

"Someone of the... female persuasion?"

"Yes, definitely female. Completely."

"Apologize."

...

Since finding Ino wasn't an option – Temari shuddered – she'd decided to make use of the abundance of training fields Konoha offered. She picked one that was close to the Hokage Tower but still left plenty of room for dashing off into the forest.

Surveying the obstacle course that lay around her, Temari grinned.

_Let's see how sturdy these trees are._

Her fan whipped off her back as she released her favorite summoning jutsu and splintered the wood for nearly a quarter of a mile to the east.

"Not bad, for a Kaze no Kuni girl," remarked a calm voice from a few feet away. "I hear you've been staying with my top tactician. Found him to your liking?"

Temari turned with a smile. "Good morning, Tsunade–hime."

The older blonde nodded. "Temari–san. Would you like to spar?"

"I'd love to, Hokage–sama."

...

Late in the day, Temari returned, exhausted, from training the likes of which she'd never withstood before. Tsunade made Baki's regime look like the children's course.

Stretching the aching muscles in her back, Temari winced and unhooked her fan.

"You're back."

There was Shikamaru. He didn't bother to look up from his book.

"Yes." She stowed her fan in the guest room. "I'm going weapons shopping. I'll be back later." She walked out again without further ado.

Now Shika looked up, eyebrows drawn. As far as he knew, Temari only ever fought with the fans she made herself.

After a few minutes he stood, stretched and told himself that he was _not_ going after her. He would simply enjoy a tour of the weapons' section of the market.

...

Unsurprisingly, she was arguing with a shopkeeper when he arrived.

"–is no way it costs more in Konoha for a woman to buy weapons than a man!"

The greasy haired man spread his hands beseechingly. "Miss, I just don't want to see pretty ladies get hurt, so I try to discourage it."

"Bullshit!" Her hand flew forward and fisted in the front of the man's shirt. "You're just sexist!"

A crowd was beginning to gather around them, mostly shinobi who agreed with the shopkeeper and were anxious to see how this played out.

Sighing, Shikamaru stepped up. "If you want to see a brawl, go to a bar," he advised the men standing beside him before reaching Temari's side. "Temari, let's go."

"Are you kidding me? He's–"

Before she could say anymore, the shopkeeper smiled grimly. "I was merely stating fact, Nara–san. Women are more susceptible to danger than men are." There was a mumble of approval from the people behind him.

Charcoal colored eyes focused on the man's face and narrowed. "You've obviously never met Haruno Sakura, who runs the hospital. I've heard she can create localized earthquakes. Or maybe Yamanaka Ino? She can tell you the secrets of any torturer in Konoha. Hyuuga Hinata, the head of the Hyuuga Clan and fiancée to Uzumaki Naruto. Tenten, Konoha's weapons mistress and ANBU captain. Mitarashi Anko, chunin proctor and tokubetsu jounin."

"Anyone who thinks kunoichis are weak can say it to their faces. I'd love to be there when you say it. Or have you forgotten that our own Hokage is a kunoichi?"

There was a moment of breathless silence as they all stared at Nara Shikamaru. His face was rigid with irritation. Wordlessly, he gripped Temari's forearm and dragged her out of the crowd.

Temari let herself be pulled along until they reached the safety of a dark alleyway. "Hey, I appreciate your championship of me and everything, but can you let me go?"

He released her, breathing hard. "What were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking? I just went down to buy some weapons–"

"And made a spectacle of yourself! If I hadn't–"

"If you hadn't showed up then I would have beaten that prick–"

Shikamaru's fist slammed into the wall next to her head, and she froze.

"Exactly! You would have beaten up that idiot in the name of your pride, and it would have taken years for the scandal to die down between Suna and Konoha!"

"I do know!" she yelled. "Remember? I've been running around to godforsaken countries for the past three years, trying to convince people that we're not going to kill them in their sleep!"

_"Then what is wrong with you?"_ His shout echoed slightly in the alley.

She slumped against the dirty brick, trying to breathe. "I don't know. I just... I..." She faltered.

Shikamaru rested his hands on either side of her shoulders, mesmerized by her wild eyes. _She's so...frustrating. I've never seen her be this...angry._ And then, with a start, Shikamaru realized that he was actually quite attracted to the woman who was staring at the ground, chest heaving, in a dark alley.

"Can I kiss you?"

Temari's eyes flew to his. "What?"

"Can I–"

In response she pushed her face up to his and covered his lips with her own. She felt her back hit the wall, felt his hands cup her face, felt so much... and then realized what she was doing.

_Shikamaru._

She shoved him backwards, panting, face red and hands trembling. He stared at her. "Temari?"

"I'll see you later," she mumbled, practically sprinting out of the darkened space.

He watched her figure dart into the crowd and disappear the way only a trained ninja could.

...

She sat down in the bar and put her face in her hands.

"What'll it be?"

"A Whirlwind, sharp," she whispered, and pressed her cheek against the soothing coldness of the countertop.

"Uh... isn't that a Nara jacket?"

She raised red–rimmed eyes slowly and glared at the bartender. "Do you have a problem with that?"

The bartender, an easygoing civilian who'd been serving alcohol for twenty years and knew when to back off, pulled out a glass and two bottles.

"It's on the house, Nara–san."

––––––––––

V is for Violence, or lack thereof.

––––––––––


	6. Acceptance

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

––––––––––

A is for Acceptance, or lack thereof.

––––––––––

When she arrived back at Shikamaru's house, the sun was just starting to set. She was drunk. Not very drunk, because even ninjas hate hangovers, but the landscape was starting to look a little blurry.

Temari staggered towards his house a little uncertainly, wondering if maybe she should stay somewhere else for the night. But no, it would be rude, wouldn't it? She was the ambassador and he was her... her...

She reached the gate, momentarily nonplussed. She didn't have a key.

That had never been a problem before, because jounin didn't usually need a key to get in anywhere, but right now the world was sliding sideways, and she wasn't sure she could jump over the wall without hurting herself. She sat down beside the metal bars, more mentally exhausted than physically, as she let the thoughts slosh through her pounding head...

_Shikamaru..._

_And the way he'd kissed her, like they were speaking a language no one else knew, like he wanted her, like she was _special_..._

The flushed skin of her cheek pressed against soothing metal. She let her eyes flutter shut.

_Shikamaru._

...

It was strange the way she dreamt of him: smiling in that secret way, or walking towards her in the early sunlight; cooking, or playing shougi with his father, or smoking...

...and she remembered how he never laughed at her, how his IQ covered everything but social interaction, how he seemed so _aware_ of the thoughts pacing back and forth behind her eyes...

...the dark hair held so neatly in a ponytail, as though he never brushed it, never fought with it, as if it were too lazy to do anything but the minimum required...just like him...

_Shikamaru..._

She dreamt of him.

...

He stared at her limp form for a moment, shock holding him as surely as his own jutsu. With a sigh, he slipped his arms under her legs and back, folding her into an embrace that felt very _right_. He managed to get them both into his apartment without any bodily harm.

The house smelled like her. It was strange that the first thing he noticed was something so subtle. But that scent, of sunlight and a fresh breeze, was pressing on his senses like cotton.

Carefully, as though she were as fragile as a soap bubble, he pressed her down on the guest bed and let the sheets crumple beneath her. She sighed. The movement made him stare at her, all of her, as the air gushed out of her diaphragm and every inch of her skin seemed to melt into the green bedding. It was as if her whole body released the breath, not just her lungs.

He reached a hand up hesitantly, to brush the contrary blonde hair from her eyes...

_...the feeling of her skin, her hot mouth, her sea green eyes, as she pulled him closer and made him forget who he was, what he was, if he even had a name other than the one she was breathing into him..._

...and flinched away.

He didn't know how to do this. He didn't know how to not be... himself around her. She brought out the sarcastic, cynically realistic inner self that was Shikamaru. He swallowed hard. That honest part of himself was thinking that he'd never seen drunk look so good. She mumbled to herself in her sleep and turned over, arm sliding across her hip. Her knuckles brushed the comforter, and she stilled once more.

His feet made almost no sound as he turned to leave, but her ninja trained ears heard it. Her eyes flicked open.

"_Shikamaru..."_

As her eyes, bleary with sleep, opened, the first thing she saw was Shikamaru. He was looking at her hesitantly, as though barely allowing himself to steal a glance.

"Don't worry about earlier, Temari. It was my fault. In fact, forget it completely if you feel like it." He was trying to hide the bitter tone in his voice and succeeding with only limited success. He would _never_ forget that. _Ever._

Temari sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I don't...I mean...it wasn't..." She looked down, fingers twisting together in a habit she'd had since she was a child.

Thinking about her sudden awakening, she realized that he must have carried her inside, regardless of how angry he was; her resolve hardened. "I don't regret it, if that's what you mean. And I don't consider it a fault." Her gaze, suddenly angry, met his. "Do you?"

He was completely taken aback. "No, I wasn't insinuating that. I just thought that you didn't want–"

"Don't assume anything! Did you ask me? Did you hear the words come from my lips?"

A smirk settled on his face. "I try not to assume anything about you, Temari; you're too unpredictable."

"Then why are we still discussing this?" She grabbed his shirt, determined to wipe the smug look off his face, and kissed him.

He broke it after a moment. "Can I safely say that you want me to kiss you, then?"

By means of an answer she pulled him back, ignoring the opportunity for witty banter. He let himself be pressed down as she felt her knees make dimples in the cloth beside his hips.

Catching her breath, suddenly needing the air with an unfamiliar thirst, Temari sat back, letting her palms rest on the fishnet that covered his stomach.

"I–"

She began to say it, but the words died away on her lips. "I'm sorry."

"I know," he whispered. He raised his hand to her face. "Why did you run?"

The merest touch of his fingers against her cheeks made her blush deeply. "I–I just, I mean–"

"Then can I kiss you?"

But this time he didn't wait for an answer. He caught her swiftly, flipping her over, pushing her against the bed, peppering kisses over her jaw and the smooth line of her neck.

Beneath his hands were the curves of her hip, where it drew in before hitting her ribcage. His kisses reached the valley between her breasts as he struggled to untie her obi.

_"Shikamaru..." _Her fingers tangled in his hair as she struggled to breathe properly.

He inhaled sharply. "This is... Tema..."

"Hai." She smiled softly.

––––––––––

A is for Acceptance, or lack thereof.

––––––––––


	7. Trouble

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

––––––––––

T is for Trouble, or lack thereof.

––––––––––

The sky was light when he woke, clouds already ushered onwards by spring winds.

Shikamaru sat up and rubbed his forehead, feeling his hair hang loose to his shoulders. _Troublesome... I'll have to fix it later..._

She was already standing, sheets wrapped around her, as she stared at the rising sun. He pulled on some pants and joined her by the window. They stood in silence for some time, the shinobi and kunoichi, watching the crimson color spill into the sky like ink.

"I never get tired of watching the sun rise," Temari whispered.

Without quite knowing why, Shika reached out and took her hand in his. She glanced over briefly before continuing to gaze out the window.

"It's troublesome," he muttered, earning a smile from Temari.

"Isn't everything?"

He pulled her into his arms, enjoying the feeling of having her close once more. "You aren't."

"Are you sure? I could be really troublesome if I put my mind to it..." There was a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Just give me someone to trouble..." And then she broke off laughing because he was covering her neck in light kisses, hands occupied with her waist.

...

They got up an hour later to go take a bath, and Shika offered to help with her sadistic hair. He helped soap her back, and stomach, and shoulders... before rinsing the shampoo from her hair, by which point she was entirely uninterested in washing. They stayed there until the water got cold and then went to get breakfast.

Sitting in Shika's living room, sipping the remnants of her tea, Temari marveled at how her point of view of this house had changed. Once it had been just a warm place to sleep, then it was a place for rest and fun, and now...

She glanced up at the kitchen counter wonderingly, and then glanced away, slightly embarrassed to be thinking about what the grain of the wood would feel like against her back.

"Do you want some more tea?" he asked, walking out of the bedroom.

She smirked and shook her head. "Geeze, don't you know how to do anything right?" She walked over to him and fingered the zippered edge of his jounin vest, which hung open. "You're too lazy to shut your clothing the right way," she teased.

He sighed. "Troublesome woman... I was just trying to be thoughtful..." Soft lips touched the secret spot beneath her jawline, making her gasp as she found herself suddenly being kissed. "It would have saved you the trouble of undoing all those clasps for when I get home tonight."

"Mmhh..."

Her fingers stroked the outer edge of his ear, and he jerked away, breathing hard.

She stopped moving. "What's wrong?"

"Well, um," he smiled embarrassedly, "If we continue this right now, I'll never actually get to work."

Temari grinned and stuck her tongue out. "Look at the hardworking genius," she taunted, pulling lightly on his fishnet shirt, "Afraid of a little kunoichi, but ready fight for his country, leaving me home, alone and vulnerable..."

The next kiss made the breath freeze in her lungs as he lifted her up and pushed her again the wall.

"Remember that it's an uphill battle, Temari." He let go of her hastily, leaving her feeling weak–kneed and completely unlike herself.

Her teal colored eyes trained on him until he reached the door and looked back.

She crossed her arms. "If you get yourself hurt, I'll just have to kiss it better, stupid war hero." Temari's hands settled on her hips in the classic pose of aggression. "Don't be so lazy at work! Other people depend on you."

He nodded and smiled lopsidedly. "I'll see you later, then."

The door shut behind him and Temari slid to her knees, a huge cheesy grin plastered all over her face.

...

The first week passed in a daze. Their days were occupied with bickering and arguments which eventually devolved into kissing.

They both agreed it was better to keep their relationship behind closed doors; Shikamaru because it would be troublesome to have to explain everything, Temari because her brothers might possibly rip her lover to infinitely small pieces.

Sitting in a tea shop one morning, having finished an impromptu breakfast with Hyuuga Hinata and Ino, Temari wondered abruptly if Shikamaru would tire of her. Honestly she didn't understand why he liked her. She was brash, merciless, blunt, stubborn... what was he thinking?

She snorted into her third cup of tea. For a genius, Shika could be a real idiot.

...

At around midnight, when they lay wrapped in each other's warmth, she turned over to look at him. "Shika."

He yawned. "Yeah, Temari?"

"I'm sorry I'm always yelling at you."

"Um... it's fine." He gave her a weird look. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because that's what people do when they're sorry."

"You're saying sorry?" He smothered a laugh. "Temari, you're not–"

She sat up, blonde hair streaming around her shoulders and eyes blazing. "I'm not what? Not sorry? Don't I have a conscience, like _every other living, breathing human being?__ What exactly am I to you?"_

He stared at her, mouth hanging open slightly.

She quickly covered her mouth with the palm of her hand, returning his shocked look at the words that had slipped from her mouth.

Slowly Shika put an arm on her shoulder. "You're Temari. Just Temari."

But she was already climbing out of bed, pulling on her clothes and grabbing her fan from its place by the window.

He scrambled to pull on a pair of pants, calling after her as she strode to the door. "I was going to say that you don't need to apologize for who you are. I _like _it when you yell at me."

She hesitated. "You should see Suna sometime."

Her pride prevented her from saying anything else. Biting her lip to keep the tears at bay, Temari shut the door behind her and flickered into the night.

...

At the gate they asked her for her visa, which she promptly handed over. The guard on watch scanned the code into the computer and compared the digital picture to the real thing.

Meanwhile, Temari waited impatiently, aching for the feeling of sand and wind swirling around her.

"Here ya go, Sabaku-sama. Ye're free ta go ta Suna now." He spat out the piece of grass he'd been chewing. "Safe journey, Sabaku-sama."

Nodding, she shot off into the dark forests surrounding Konoha.

...

When she reached Suna three days later, neither Gaara or Kankuro asked any questions. But she could feel it in their quiet looks as she taught Academy classes and tore apart training fields.

_What if Shikamaru comes here?_ she wondered one day during her lunch break. _Will he come after me?_

But the more devastating thought, the one she hardly allowed herself to entertain, was what if he _didn't?_

––––––––––

T is for Trouble, or lack thereof.

––––––––––


	8. Inhibitions

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

––––––––––

I is for Inhibitions, or lack thereof.

––––––––––

Shikamaru, being Shikamaru and therefore thick as a plank when it comes to social interactions, didn't pick up on Temari's meaning until a week later, right after Ino clocked him with her purse.

"What do you mean _you haven't even written to her!_" the blonde kunoichi shrieked at him. _"Nara Shikamaru, you dumbass!"_ She chased him down the street, and he only escaped by transforming into a passing shopkeeper.

At that point he decided it might be safer to go home and play a calm game of shougi with his father. The game progressed quietly until Shika finally divulged the cause of his sudden urge to play shougi. Then his father looked him in the eye and told him firmly that he was being an idiot.

"I'm what?" He'd never been called an idiot by his father. _Never_.

Shikaku looked up again from the board. "You should have begun sprinting towards Suna the moment twenty-four hours had passed."

"Twenty-four hours?"

"That's the grace period. It takes three days to run to Suna – if you're a day behind her, she'll have a day to miss you in Suna. Then, when you arrive, she'll have worked out her feelings for you, and you two can figure it all out."

He protested immediately, "But Temari isn't like that! She wouldn't wait for me–"

There was a loud crash from the doorway, and both men turned. Yoshino stood there, opened mouthed with shock, and not because she'd just dropped a tray of food. "Shikamaru – you and Temari were...?"

Her son sighed exasperatedly and nodded. "Yes, Mom."

She clutched her hands to her chest in horror. "And you didn't go...?"

"No, Mom; obviously I'm still here."

Little did he know that he had pushed his luck too far; Motherhood suddenly blazed around the brunette woman.

"Nara Shikamaru."

Her fists bunched, apparently of their own will, as she roared at him: "YOUNG MAN YOU HAD BETTER START RUNNING TO SUNA RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME KAMI I WILL REND YOU LIMB FROM LIMB AND FEED YOU TO THE DEER!" She pointed furiously towards the door with her spatula. "GET GOING!"

He scrambled to his feet in fear, backing away from the glowering form that was Yoshino. "It's not that big a deal, Mom–"

"I SAID OUT!"

"Yes, Mom!"

And run he did, all the way to his house, where he packed for Suna in a state of panic and didn't regain full control of his body until he was crossing the Fire Country border.

...

_Stupid._

Thud.

_Freaking._

Thud.

_Jerk._

Thud.

Temari's fist hit the bag one last time as she finished the set of punches and decided to go get some ice cream.

_I'll do some more cardio when I get back,_ she promised herself. _But a girl's got to have some kind of sweets._

Luckily the sun was already setting, so the market was open. She stopped in at one of her favorite little shops, smiling at the children who raced through the streets after a long day of schooling.

She was almost through a cone of ice cream when she felt a familiar presence behind her. She ignored him as he sat down in the chair next to her.

"Kankuro, I know what you're going to say, and I–"

He gave her a weird look. "You do? How?"

Now Temari was confused too. "Wait, weren't you going to talk to me about going back to Konoha?"

Kankuro's forehead crinkled incomprehension beneath his war paint. "No. I just wanted a copy of the schedule for the next troops on border duty. You're the only one that has a key to that room except for Gaara, and he's busy with a sand storm in the east."

Temari blushed. "Oh." She reached into her shirt and drew out a chain with a ring of keys at the end. "It's the one with the blue marker on it," she added as Kankuro took the keys and thanked her. "Return it soon."

"Well, if he's not going to talk to you about returning to Konoha, I suppose I'll have to. Troublesome."

That lazy drawl behind her was utterly familiar, and made the hair rise on the back of her neck. "Shikamaru?" she whispered, not daring to turn her head in case she was hallucinating.

The Konoha ANBU member pulled out the chair Kankuro had vacated and proceeded to order something from the shopkeeper. Only when his iced tea was on the table in front of him and Temari had stopped staring at his spiky head of hair did Shika look back at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

"Why are you in Suna?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You invited me, didn't you?"

_Ten days ago!_ she shrieked mentally. _Ten freaking days ago!_

Outwardly she nodded. "I suppose."

Shika stretched. "I spoke with Gaara. He was very quick to grant me a month long visa, even though I only requested a few days. Does he know about us?"

She was quiet for a long moment. "Yes."

Shikamaru looked around to make sure no one familiar was watching them before reaching out and taking Temari's hand.

"Temari. I want there to be an 'us.' Is it possible?"

She snorted. "Logically anything's possible, Nara."

Finally abandoning all sense of decorum, Shika leaned forward and kissed her until she was smiling broadly.

"Is that what you came to say?" She smirked at him.

He grinned. "It went pretty much as planned. The peach flavor, however," he gestured to her empty ice cream bowl, "was an unexpected variable."

"I like peaches," she said defensively.

He seemed to consider this. "That's good to know. I do too." And then he bent over the table and kissed her again, just for the novelty of it.

––––––––––

I is for Inhibitions, or lack thereof.

––––––––––


	9. Obligations

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

––––––––––

O is for Obligations, or lack thereof.

––––––––––

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" she asked him wonderingly later that evening.

He leaned back into the pillows and laced his fingers behind his head. "I'll admit. It took me the three days of travel time to come up with a plan."

Temari grinned slyly. "Let me guess. You were going to try begging, extortion, possibly even bribery..."

He raised one slow eyebrow. "Not at all. You lack mercy, so begging would be out of the question; I have nothing that I could I possibly use to extort you, besides the fact that it would have just damaged your opinion of me; bribery might have worked, but at the time I was unaware of your peach fetish." He kissed her fingertips. "So I opted for honesty."

She pulled away her hand. "Merciless, am I?" she said dryly. "You sure know your way into a woman's heart."

Shikamaru lost interest in the ceiling, which he'd briefly begun to study, and pressed his lips softly to Temari's. "It was touch and go for a while, but I think I've found the key."

"Really?" A bemused expression crossed her face as he sighed into her neck.

"Of course. Peach ice cream."

She laughed aloud and rolled him over, just to make sure he remembered who was the kunoichi in the relationship.

...

Two weeks passed in a blur. Shika had even signed up to give Suna chunin a lecture on how to survive in heavily wooded terrain, which surprised Temari more than she liked to admit. It was only when she'd dropped him off and seen his eyes light up in the classroom that she'd realized he _liked_ teaching children. However much he might grumble about it, he enjoyed sharing knowledge with others. The thought made her smile.

Temari had just sat down for lunch with Gaara when he chose to break some unusual news in a blunt fashion.

"Temari, the Hidozawa Clan has expressed an interest in you."

The blonde woman froze in the act of eating a sandwich, quickly swallowing in order to answer her brother. "And you said?"

"I responded courteously. I reminded them that you are an active jounin and my adviser, and as such are in no position to be considering a betrothal." Gaara looked up from the sheaf of papers in his hands. "I think they took it rather well, as they implied that if Kankuro were available, they would be happy to introduce some of their eligible daughters. I arranged for you to have complete control of our mother's possessions," he added belatedly.

Temari nearly inhaled her next bite. "What?"

In Gaara's face she used to see their father, but now his eyes were calm. "I have granted Nara Shikamaru a month long pass in Suna, but the Hidozawas are not the only ones who have made inquiries. I thought that right now our mother's things might be best for you to have..."

She saw what he was trying to say, and loved him all the more for it, but _marriage_?

"Thank you, Gaara, but I still have a while before I even want to think about getting married or having kids." She rose from the table, her food suddenly unappetizing, and made for the door. But as she reached it, a thought crossed her mind and she turned back. Gaara was bent once more over the many documents in his grasp, but he lifted his head when she planted a light kiss in his scarlet hair.

"Thank you," she reiterated as, unbeknownst to her, he offered one of his rare smiles.

...

She found him in one of the training yards shredding a target with lazily thrown shuriken. She raised her pale brows at this. "Tired of throwing kunai?"

He shrugged. "I'm out of them. Besides, I realized how long I'd gone without practice." He flicked a pair up between his fingers and threw them faster than the eye could see. One of them hit slightly after the first, slicing it in half.

She applauded mockingly and went to sit by him. "Have you thought about what we'll do when you have to leave?"

He pretended to consider it. "Well, I thought we'd do a whole lot of this," he said, bracing a forearm against the chain link fence behind her and leaning in.

He leaned back smiling after a moment. "But if that's not to your taste we could do some of this..." His lips on her collarbone made her gasp and flush.

"Shika! Not out here!" She just knew her face looked like a tomato.

His lips quirked. "Okay." He withdrew his hands from her waist and stepped back.

She felt strangely irritated. She wished he would take the initiative so that she could feel satisfied and attractive. But he always just backed off when she said to. Why did he have to be so troublesome?

Catching herself thinking like him, she burst out laughing.

Shikamaru regarded her with an odd light in his eyes for a moment. Then he hugged her tightly. "Okay, I guess I must have done something right, but you'll have to let me in on the secret."

She just shook her head, eyes darkening as her thoughts took a completely different turn. "This one's my secret."

"What'll it take to get the answer?"

She hesitated, then leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. "Well, the answer might be illegal in public places." She gripped his jounin vest firmly, and he smirked.

"I guess we'll just have to go some place private, then."

...

On Shikamaru's last night in Suna, he confided in Temari that he'd had a talk with her brothers about their future. "I didn't mean to change the subject," he said as he ran his fingers through her long blonde hair. "But I didn't want to think about it."

Temari rested her head on his chest. "So what did Gaara say?"

"He told me he understood the complications of shinobi from different villages, albeit allied, having a relationship. He said that he respected me for my skills as a ninja and my intelligence. Then Kankuro cut in and made it clear that they would castrate me and make my skin into a banner to hang at Suna's gate if I ever hurt you."

Temari started laughing and couldn't stop. Finally he had to kiss her to make her pay attention to the situation at hand. "I think it's wonderful you can regard my situation with such mirth," he said dryly, and ran a finger down her neck.

She gave him a cocky smile. "Well, how did you answer?"

"I replied that if I ever hurt you, although I have no intention of doing so, I would gladly allow them to do with me as they saw fit. It shut Kankuro up for a while, and Gaara handed me the pass. I think he was almost smiling."

"Well, I guess it's good news that my brothers aren't actively trying to have you murdered for daring to lay a hand on their sister."

By way of response he let his mouth travel downward from her collarbone until neither of them was interested in talking.

...

She was irritable. Well, Shika had been gone for nearly a week now. She was having withdrawal symptoms.

She shoved the stack of reports on her desk to the side and stared at nothing for a moment. The sky outside of Suna was turning golden as the last of the sunlight faded, and it captivated her to know that Shikamaru was probably watching the same sky in Konoha.

Gaara, working two meters away, glanced up at her and drew a thick stack of papers from a drawer in his desk. He carefully placed them on the table and shut the drawer. Then he waited.

He didn't have to wait long. Temari withdrew from her reverie after a moment and found his gaze on her.

"Temari, I'm afraid that the Hidozawa Clan and the Morichi Clan have contacted me once more concerning your marriage."

"And?"

"They've dug up some old law concerning families of the Kazekage. You may want to take a look at these." He gestured towards the sheaf in front of him.

She grabbed the first paper and began to read, her eyes widening in shock and then narrowing in anger.

"Are you telling me I have to get married?"

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O is for Obligations, or lack thereof.

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	10. Negotiations

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

––––––––––

N is for Negotiations, or lack thereof.

––––––––––

If the Kazekage and his older brother thought they'd seen Temari angry before, they were sorely mistaken.

She became a presence of doom around the Kazekage tower, a terror to everyone she met. In private, she wasn't much better; Kankuro began to avoid being in a room alone with her in case she snapped and killed him.

"I'm beginning to understand what it was like living with me all those years," Gaara said absently to Kankuro. "She hasn't spoken a word to me since I took her off the mission roster."

"And Nara?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "She's been ignoring his messages. I had Tsunade inform him of the situation."

"Temari won't be pleased."

Gaara regarded his brother frankly. "She'll have to deal with it."

...

When Temari had finished poring over the ancient documents, she'd gone outside and screamed. Not a scream of fear or sadness, but a rage that had been locked inside her for too long and was struggling to get out.

_No one_ would tell her who she had to marry.

The basic content of the ancient documents was this: if the Kazekage had unmarried female kin, it was their duty to strengthen the country by marrying. And as such powerful assets, their betrothals could legally be voted upon by Suna's council of elders, which included members of both the Hidozawa and Morichi Clans.

There was no way in _hell_, she was going to go through with this.

But, the frustratingly loyal part of Temari said, you will go through with this. Because it's for Suna. It's not a matter of your decision. Suna needs the strength of a political marriage.

And Temari knew it was right. For the past six years Gaara had strived to reunite and empower the struggling nation in the desert. If she chose to disobey this order, it would do more than any war or drought to prove that Kaze no Kuni was devastatingly vulnerable to its own pride.

She shuddered, sitting on her bed in her dark room, remembering the warm body that had been there only a month ago. She thought of what Shikamaru would say when he found out, and bit the inside of her cheek until it bled. Suddenly she tasted salt on her lips; she was crying, not for the poor man who would become the object of her loathing in years to come, but for the happiness she might have had with a lazy, infuriating, brilliant jounin from Konoha.

Proud as hell and vicious as a sandstorm, Temari couldn't just ignore this. Suna was a part of Temari, whatever else she might be.

So she wiped away the few tears she'd allowed herself to shed and went to tell Gaara her decision.

...

It was unfortunate that two days after Temari reported her consent to the marriage, Shikamaru knocked on the Hokage's door.

"Enter."

He creaked open the door and saluted the Godaime. "Tsunade–sama, I'm requesting a temporary visa to Sunagakure."

The blonde woman glanced up from her work. "Shikamaru–san? It's three in the morning!"

"I know, Godaime."

She sighed. "Alright, sit." She flapped a hand towards one of the comfortable chairs in front of her desks.

He sank into a chair, still rigid with tension. "Something has come up in Suna. I will return as soon as possible, but please remove me from the roster for a few weeks."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him. "Shikamaru–san, I'll write you the visa, but you have to give Gaara some reports to validate your presence. And no more running off like last time, okay?"

He nodded quickly. "I'll be back in a few minutes for the visa, Godaime." He gave her a brief smile and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

When he was gone, Tsunade examined the reports her spies in Suna had given her regarding Sabaku no Temari and smiled.

"If she doesn't kill him, he'll be the most useful adviser this village has had in a long time."

...

Gaara knew everything that happened in Kaze no Kuni; that was why so few potential assassins even got into the city.

He was sitting in his office, watching the stars wheel into the sky, when he felt Shikamaru arrive. With interest he saw him reach the heavily guarded fort. And then he saw them running towards Suna.

Everything was going according to plan.

...

Temari was on border patrol, having nagged Kankuro into giving her some work, when Shikamaru entered the country.

He was exhausted from running, that much she could tell, and his only thought was of a place to sleep for the night.

Then he looked up from dinner at the fort and caught her gaze. He dropped his fork, rose and approached her without taking his eyes from hers.

"Temari."

She gave him a hard look. "Took you long enough."

He nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I stopped answering your letters and it took you a _month_ to get here?"

"I was on a mission." He sighed. "I guess you missed me. Troublesome."

Temari snarled. "I'll give you troublesome, you–" she grabbed the front of his vest threateningly. Then he kissed her, and she forgot what she was going to say.

Shika released her. "Let's go back to Suna," he said. "There's something I need to discuss with your brother."

"Are you crazy?" She could almost _see_ the plan forming in his head. "You think just asking a favor from Gaara will make everything better?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure he's not happy about this either. And an unhappy Kazekage has a lot of clout with the council."

She gave in to curiosity, keeping pace with him as they ran into the desert. "Why does that matter?"

He paused, and in this pause Temari could hear a lot of things that were going unspoken. "Because I think he'll have called the meeting by now," he said deliberately, "and I'll need his support when I ask to marry you."

...

She argued all the way back to Suna.

"This is ridiculous! I'm not a piece of meat that you can bid for! You didn't even ask if I wanted to marry you!"

At which point he turned around. "Well, wouldn't you rather marry me than some figurehead clan heir?"

She could feel herself blushing like a sunset. "That's not the point!"

But he'd already begun to smile, and when he leaned over and kissed her again, she didn't protest.

"Let's go."

They sprinted the rest of the way.

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N is for Negotiations, or lack thereof.

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	11. Motivation

Motivation

by Original Blue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

––––––––––

M is for Motivation, or lack thereof.

––––––––––

The council had been called, but most of its members were in their sixties and not inclined to moving quickly.

Gaara waited impassively with Kankuro at the head of the table as the leaders assembled. Only the tension in the set of the Kazekage's shoulders revealed that there was something wrong.

Behind him and to the right, Kankuro balled his hands into fists. "I don't care who they choose; if Temari doesn't slit his throat I will," he said under his breath, for Gaara's ears alone. He glanced out the window. "Even the Nara would have been better."

Gaara sensed his sister and her lover climbing the stairs beneath them and smiled. "Yes, he would." When he heard their feet touch the landing, he rose, and the room's occupants fell silent.

"This meeting has been called to address the subject of Sabaku no Temari's marriage," said Gaara quietly.

The council members hushed instantly.

"I understand that several clans, including those with members in this room, wish to further the interests of Kaze no Kuni." He laced his fingers in front of him. "The laws of this land are not to be ignored," he said, "so I have decided to nominate a candidate for your consideration."

The room held its breath.

"The man I am speaking of is Nara Shikamaru."

There were shouts of outrage from the members of the Morichi clan, and the Hidozawas' leader turned an ugly shade of purple. Apparently no one liked the prospect of Temari marrying outside of Suna's ranks.

"He's from Konoha!" someone yelled, and Gaara raised a hand for quiet.

"Yes, he is from Konoha, one of our allies. He is also the Nara Clan heir, a jounin squad leader, academy instructor, a member of the Hokage's council, and a friend of mine." He regarded his audience. "You may remember that he was also my second in command in the Fourth Shinobi War, and he served us all well in defeating Madara."

The head of the Hidozawa Clan stood. "Where is this man that you speak so highly of?" The color had not faded from his cheeks. "Is he afraid to confront us? Before we cast our votes, we should appraise him."

Gaara gazed unflinchingly in his critic's direction. "He is outside, with my sister."

And then the door opened, just as Shikamaru and Gaara had planned it, revealing Temari and her companion.

Nara Shikamaru saluted the Gaara. "Kazekage–sama, I request permission to marry your sister."

Gaara almost smiled at his relaxed manner, but knew he needed to maintain a neutral image. "You have my full support."

The two men just looked at each other for a moment, and then Temari stepped forward.

"I believed _my_ marriage is being discussed? Why wasn't I summoned?"

The only woman from the council was from the Morichi Clan. "You were on patrol," she said, her voice an ancient croak. "We do not pull jounin from their tasks to discuss something so trivial."

"_Trivial?"_

Shikamaru knew the look on Temari's face and backed up a step, her brothers following suit.

"You think the decision of my marriage is _trivial?"_

Quietly, Shikamaru slipped out of the room and met the Sabaku brothers in the hallway. He nodded to Gaara and gave Kankuro the reports from the Godaime, then waited for the threats to begin.

It didn't take long to start, and went on for about half an hour.

Occasionally they heard the sound of Temari taking out her frustration verbally on the terrified members of the council, but the walls were thick, and sand absorbs a lot of noise.

Finally, Temari walked out, breathing hard, but with a self–satisfied smirk on her lips. "They decided my marriage could wait," she said nonchalantly. "And the Hidozawa guy is taking a trip to Kumo for a while. Possibly years."

She grabbed Shikamaru's hand and towed him down the hall.

Kankuro turned to Gaara. "I love the way she does politics."

Leaning against the railing with a smile, Gaara responded. "I'm not sure any of them will attend another meeting with her present." He shook his head. "I should let her handle them more often."

At the end of the hall, Temari pulled away from Shikamaru for a moment. "Oh, and Gaara – it's now illegal in Suna for the marriages of adults to be arranged, by their families, clans or any form of governing body." She returned to kissing Shikamaru.

...

"You're like the cat that killed a whole flock of canaries," he commented later, lazing in her sheets.

She flicked his arm. "Don't spoil the mood," she warned. "I could kick your butt all the way back to Hi no Kuni."

He walked his fingers up her arm. "But then you'd miss it."

She smiled, and gave him a serious look. "How did you know when to come to Suna?"

He yawned. "I asked your brother when he would call the meeting."

"You _what_?"

He groaned and brushed his lips against her neck. "Stop being so mad at me, would you, you troublesome woman? It was the only thing I could think of that would work."

"Why didn't you ask me?" she said, feeling slightly hurt that he would talk to her brother but not her.

Shika gave her an appraising look. "Because someone hasn't been answering my letters."

"Oh." She turned crimson.

"Yeah." He rolled over and kissed her intently for several minutes. "Don't worry about it. Everything turned out fine, didn't it?"

She grinned slyly, arms winding around his neck. "I guess it did," she said, still smiling. "And you turned into a real jounin while I wasn't looking."

"Unfortunately," he grumbled. "You wouldn't believe the amount of paperwork twenty almost–genin can produce."

She smirked, gently biting his lower lip and eliciting a gasp. "And all you needed was a little motivation."

...

Epilogue

...

The house was cold, but it was Spring again, Temari's least favorite season. Why couldn't it be like Suna, where the seasons were pretty similar in terms of temperature?

_I hate the rain,_ she thought with a sigh, not for the first time and certainly not for the last.

She padded softly down the hall, a toddler on one hip, as the light mist outside turned into a miserable drizzle.

"Tema?" came the husky voice from their bedroom. Shikamaru sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

She nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. "Shikari wanted some tea, so I had some too."

He raised an eyebrow and let his wife curl into his arms. "Did you have honey with it?"

She gave him an annoyed look. "Yes."

"And peanut butter? And peaches? And chocolate covered pistachios?"

Her eyes narrowed. "We have chocolate covered pistachios?"

Shika laughed at his wife's odd cravings. "You were like this when you were pregnant with Kari too." He planted a kiss on her forehead and their daughter's.

Temari dozed with her chin just above Shikari's head. "We both like peaches," she defended in a murmur, and felt his fingers brush through her tangled hair.

Shikamaru glanced once more at the two most beautiful people he knew and closed his eyes, a smile quirking his lips. "I know."

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M is for Motivation, or lack thereof.

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End file.
